Quectel Launches Three Automotive-Grade 6-Axis IMUs with ISO 26262 and ASIL-B Options

Quectel Wireless Solutions announced in Munich on 15 September 2026 that it has expanded its automotive-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) portfolio with three new 6-axis modules. The LUA501RA was developed in accordance with the ISO 26262 functional safety standard, while the LUA300C and LUA301C focus on factory calibration plus additional mechanical mounting options. Together the trio gives engineers a choice of sensor platform, footprint and mechanical interface, and something the portfolio did not offer before: an ASIL-B development pedigree.

How the three modules differ

The LUA501RA is built around Bosch's SMI270 chip and integrates a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer in an 11.5 mm × 19.5 mm × 12.0 mm package weighing approximately 8.0 g. Although engineered to automotive-grade standards, its target applications reach well beyond the vehicle: automotive ADAS and ADCU systems, machine control, industrial automation, high-precision GNSS/INS navigation, autonomous mobile robots, unmanned vehicles and industrial robotics. In a case such as automated excavator-arm control, the module supplies calibrated 6-axis data that the host uses to estimate tilt and orientation, reducing manual input.

The LUA300C and LUA301C are built around ST's ASM330LHB chip. Quectel states that the two offer the same electrical performance and the same calibration approach; the differences are confined to size, weight and mounting style. That matters for programmes that have already completed electrical validation, because changing the mechanical design does not force interface and timing validation to be redone.

Pin mounting versus screw mounting

The LUA300C uses pin mounting and measures 18.8 mm × 10.4 mm × 11.1 mm at roughly 2.4 g, while the LUA301C uses screw mounting and measures 19.5 mm × 11.5 mm × 12.0 mm at roughly 8 g. For mechanical engineers this is not a packaging detail. A pin-mounted module is typically soldered onto the board, tying the sensing reference to PCB layout and board-level stress. A screw-mounted module can be fastened to a metal bracket or body structure, allowing more freedom in mounting orientation and vibration isolation, at the cost of fasteners, an extra assembly step and more weight.

Selection criteria for automotive-grade IMUs

Teams preparing a design-in should compare candidates along these axes:

1. Mechanical integration: board-mount pin package versus screw fixing to a structure, which drives PCB layout, assembly sequence and damping strategy.
2. Functional safety level: whether the part was developed to ISO 26262 and whether the supporting documentation matches the target ASIL, which determines eligibility for safety-related ADAS/ADCU designs.
3. Calibration delivery: a module calibrated individually at the factory versus a raw sensor that requires full temperature-range characterisation and compensation in house. The former saves engineering effort and development time; the latter is flexible but expensive.
4. Operating temperature headroom: Quectel specifies -40 °C to +105 °C, covering underhood, exterior automotive and outdoor industrial environments.
5. Sensor platform and supply continuity: the LUA501RA uses Bosch SMI270 while the LUA300C and LUA301C use ST ASM330LHB, so two platforms remain available as supply options.

Why per-unit calibration matters

According to Quectel, every LUA501RA is calibrated individually at the factory with its own compensation parameters for bias error over temperature, scale factor error and sensor misalignment, and the module's temperature-dependent bias is compensated unit by unit across -40 °C to +105 °C. Customers receive a ready-to-use calibrated IMU rather than a raw sensor that would need extensive system-level characterisation. Windy Fang, GNSS Product Director at Quectel, said the company already supplies automotive-grade GNSS alongside IMU technology for ADAS, and that the new modules combine pre-qualified, production-ready hardware with a functional-safety development pedigree to shorten the path to production. Documentation for the LUA300C adds that gyroscope and accelerometer parameters — bias over temperature, scale factor error and misalignment error — are precision-trimmed during production, with design and manufacturing following a quality management system based on IATF 16949:2016.

HSY Perspective

As an authorised distributor for Quectel, HSY sees three practical implications for customer programmes. First, the order of decisions should change: fix the mechanical mounting concept (pin or screw) and the required safety level before comparing price, because the impact of a pin or screw design on bracketry, board stress and assembly flow usually outweighs the device unit cost in total programme cost. Second, if a design targets ADAS or ADCU, confirm early in the design review — not during late-stage prototype debugging — that the documentation package behind the ASIL-B development pedigree (safety manual, failure mode analysis, diagnostic coverage data) satisfies the customer's own functional safety review. Third, for GNSS/INS integrated positioning designs, the LUA501RA's per-unit temperature compensation across -40 °C to +105 °C is relevant to underhood and exterior mounting positions, so verify the actual mounting point stays inside that range. When quoting automotive customers we recommend including delivery lead time and lot traceability for the automotive part numbers, since procurement decisions in this segment routinely depend on that information.

Source: Quectel press release "Quectel launches new IMU sensor modules to help OEMs reduce risk and accelerate development and TTM" (https://www.quectel.com/news-and-pr/new-imu-sensor-modules-intergeo-2026, 15 September 2026); Quectel product page "LUA300C (00) automotive grade 6-axis IMU module" (https://www.quectel.com/product/6-axis-imu-lua300c-00-automotive-module, 20 December 2023)